Chapter 402: The Pinnacle of Life

After realizing that the katana named Hyorinmaru was not the soul-constructed fantasy weapon from his memories, Muria wondered who could have forged such an imitation.

"Lord Bast, do you know who forged this blade?" Muria asked, his tone even. He knew he was not alone in this world, so he was prepared for the answer.

"You don't know?" Upon hearing Muria's question, a look of surprise appeared on the ancient gold dragon Bast's face.

"Should I know?" Muria was slightly puzzled, realizing that the creator of this Zanpakuto must be incredibly famous, known to everyone, which was quite intriguing.

"Well, given Your Highness's status, it's indeed not necessary for you to know," Muria's retort seemed to make sense to the ancient dragon, who nodded slightly in agreement.

"It seems I am uninformed," Muria stroked his chin, "Lord Bast, please enlighten me about the creator of this blade."

"Hyorinmaru is one of the Zanpakuto series crafted by Lord Gustav, the acclaimed number one weapon smith on the main continent."

"The Zanpakuto series?" Muria's lips twitched slightly, "This Gustav, the premier artifact smith of the main continent, has forged more than one Zanpakuto? How many has he crafted?"

"Hehe, with Master Gustav's capabilities, how could he forge just one? During my travels across the main continent, I heard that Master Gustav had already crafted twenty Zanpakutos, though I do not know the current count."

"Twenty Zanpakutos, and each one is different?" Muria asked eagerly, since being known as the number one on the main continent, it wouldn't make sense to replicate twenty identical versions of Hyorinmaru.

"That's correct, twenty Zanpakutos, each capable of releasing both Shikai and Bankai, the two forms of transformation, and each weapon is unique."

"Shikai! Bankai!" Muria couldn't help but smirk again, then muttered under his breath, "Otaku."

"What are the features of these Zanpakutos?" Muria looked at the magical image of the white-haired boy who, having activated Shikai, sliced through the air with Hyorinmaru, creating an ice dragon. He was curious about the extent to which Master Gustav had replicated the Zanpakutos.

"The Zanpakutos forged by Lord Gustav are quite different from normal legendary weapons; they inherently contain immense power. Moreover, each Zanpakuto comes with its own set of powerful techniques, unique to each blade. However, the full power of these techniques can only be unleashed by the wielder of the Zanpakuto; otherwise, the effects are significantly reduced.

Furthermore, Lord Gustav has placed two seals on each Zanpakuto. The completely sealed state of a Zanpakuto takes the form of a long, thin blade.

Unsealing these two layers, which Lord Gustav calls Shikai and Bankai, grants the wielder enhanced power from the Zanpakuto.

Typically, Shikai doubles a person's strength, while Bankai increases it by more than tenfold. However, few who possess a Zanpakuto can achieve Bankai and gain this terrifying boost.

Moreover, for some reason, Master Gustav has included a peculiar feature on the Zanpakutos. To initiate Shikai and Bankai, one must recite specific incantations; otherwise, the release cannot be successfully completed."

"This is an otaku's commitment," Muria thought to himself. Releasing a Zanpakuto without shouting the command would feel incomplete.

Master Gustav had put so much effort into forging these weapons, which originally existed only in fantasy, aiming to perfect them according to their original settings.

Putting himself in Gustav's shoes, Muria felt that if he were the one crafting these Zanpakutos, he would also include these purely troublesome restrictions.

After all, Gustav's purpose in creating the Zanpakutos was merely to fulfill his own ultimate fantasy from a past life, not to create powerful legendary weapons, which was just incidental.

"Prince Muria, if you ever encounter an enemy wielding a Zanpakuto, do not be deceived by the name 'Zanpakuto.' The blade form is just its basic state under two seals. After a Zanpakuto is released, only a small portion retains the shape of a blade; most do not even resemble a blade at all.

For example, I once saw a Zanpakuto named 'Hozukimaru' that transforms into an ugly-looking spear upon Shikai. However, once it reaches Bankai, the weapon, named 'Ryujin Hozukimaru,' looks quite impressive."

As Bast concluded his introduction of the Zanpakutos to Muria

, he couldn't help but express a slight lament, "Lord Gustav's design choices for some weapons truly make me question his taste, but most of the weapons he crafts are exceptionally attractive. I sometimes fail to understand this master's fluctuating aesthetic."

After listening to Bast's description, Muria paused briefly, then asked curiously, "Lord Bast, if I wanted to visit this premier weaponsmith of the main continent, where would I find him?"

"Master Gustav is currently the husband of Princess Isabella, the elder sister of the reigning Emperor of the Star Sea Empire, and the chief artifact smith of the Celestial Empire. He holds a ducal title, equivalent to that of a royal prince of the empire.

The Emperor of the Celestial Empire even designated a small plane as Gustav's fief and often bestows treasures upon him in various ways, showing extreme favor."

"Such a high status?" Muria was taken aback upon hearing the dazzling titles and achievements of his fellow countryman. A status equivalent to that of a human imperial prince—what did that imply? This placed him on the same level as the kings of kingdoms, and his real status was even higher.

"Prince Muria, do you know why Master Gustav is hailed as the foremost weaponsmith of the main continent?" Bast's face showed admiration, "Because he can forge legendary weapons at an incredibly efficient rate, and each piece he creates is distinctive and unique. He represents the highest standard of human creativity and forging skills."

"Nonsense creativity!" Muria thought to himself, watching the projection of the white-haired boy using Hyorinmaru to execute signature moves like "Gathering Birds Ice Pillar" and "Ice Dragon Tail." Muria couldn't help but internally remark, "This is outright plagiarism, but having the ability to forge these purely fantastical weapons into reality is indeed quite remarkable."

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